Flawed leadership

When President Clinton defended his lying under oath, saying that it was just a misunderstanding about definitions, many of us rolled our eyes but gave him a pass. Today we find ourselves shrugging off lies about the cause of the Benghazi attack, lies about IRS political activism, lies about the "affordable" health care act.

Flawed leadership, spelled lying, cheating, and cronyism, caused the tragic meltdown of the Ukrainian Chernobyl nuclear plant in 1986. All of us are flawed, but everything melts down when people tolerate lying from their leaders.

Art DeJong

Sheboygan

No law

Continuing with the accounts of pre-execution scourging of Roman tradition, it is important to know that at the Praeturium, Jesus was severely whipped. Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four Gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles (I Peter 2:24). It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law, because the Romans had no such law. The soldiers, amused that Jesus claimed to be king, began to mock him with a robe, crown of thorns and a wooden staff for a scepter. The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a pre-shock state. His physical state after this, left him in at least serious and possible critical condition. Even without the crucifixion, victims would die of infection several days after the scourging.

Norman Veldboom

Oostburg

Human impact

Let's just say that God respects the laws of nature. Over billions of years, the ebb and flow of heat, cold, water, drought, eruption and collapse have worked together to bring about the breathtakingly gorgeous and unbelievably varied balance of plant and animal life that humans originally shared on planet Earth. Now humans have impacted nature, cutting, killing, depleting and exploiting; filling the air, water, and soil with poisons; destroying entire species (for pleasure and profit) that were an essential part of that balance; trying to replace Nature with imitations. As Nature continues evolving, she will absorb, eliminate, restructure what we've done and do what is necessary to restore a new balance. Fasten your seat belts, folks; it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Genevieve Beenen

Shebogyan

Crumbling infrastructure

There is a reason why...our infrastructure is crumbling, our airports are antiquated, our schools struggle for funds, the middle class is shrinking, food stamp use is up, jails and prisons are full, wages stagnate, our internet access costs far more than other industrialized countries, so many citizens cannot access healthcare, many of our veterans cannot find jobs or get timely healthcare issues addressed, we cannot plan for the long term, money equals political access, we are junkies hooked on dirty oil, and are ignorant of the definition of a scientific theory is. That reason is war and military spending. We make it and we glorify it. We write books about Jesus astride a white horse wielding a sword when he returns. War has usurped this country's future. It builds nothing. It destroys. Every strutting pol kneels before its altar to show their 'strength'. Only outgoing presidents, in their last term, speak of downsizing the military - and then with only half felt passion. We are losing respect! Other countries do not fear us anymore! We are declining! But it may be that a nation can decline in ways other than militarily. Maybe its people grow discouraged. Maybe that 'climb the ladder' thing is just a fable. Maybe some have seen behind the curtain and have finally uncoupled from that mythical, shining city on the hill.

Mark Briese

Sheboygan

Wishing them well

Let's face it, nostalgic as it may be, Prange is gone, so is Sheboygan Dry Goods, Pennys and Montgomery Ward too, along with five and dime stores and many other businesses that once flourished on Eighth Street. Now it is up to our city leaders to come up with something that will benefit us the most. I am glad to see them looking at many options for the recently purchased area. It would be nice to have a magic wand to wave and produce a successful solution. I for one, do not have any idea that will work the best, but I do feel those who have to make the final decision, will use all of the skills and expertise they have acquired in pursuit of their professions. I wish them well on this endeavor.